Coffee - A side Order
by FieryFestus
Summary: ""I wish you were my real Daddy." She mumbled. Percy pushed her away gently, she she was standing on his knees, facing him. "It doesn't matter if I'm your real Dad or not." Percy said, with a smile. "I love you like a real daughter, and I always, always will, alright?"" Sequel to Coffee. Characters belong to Rick Riordan.
1. Chapter 1

"Daddy?" Percy turned around, and smiled at the five-year-old behind him, her auburn curls in a long braid down her back. Poppy was becoming very beautiful indeed. Even at five, she looked so much like Annabeth it scared Percy out of his wits. She even had Annabeth's intelligence, which scared him even more. Soon enough, both of them would be able to outsmart him.

"Yes Pops?" He said.

"When's Mommy back?"

Annabeth was at work. On a weekend. He hated that, but once he realised that there was absolutely nothing that he would be to to about it, he just went along with it. He wished she could be at home. Of course he did. But it was so normal now he was fairly used to it. He looked down at the little girl, and smiled a little. He loved her as if she were his own daughter, and more everyday. He crouched down to her level, and brushed a hair out of her face.

"She'll be a few hours yet, kiddo." He said. "She's got lots to do at work, and then she's going to the dress shop to look at wedding dresses."

Poppy nodded, and then frowned.

"Why didn't you and Mommy get married before I was born?" She asked.

Percy sat on a chair, and lifted her onto his lap.

"You know I'm not your real Daddy, right?" He asked.

Poppy nodded.

"Well," Percy said, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I've known your Mommy since I was twelve, but I did something really stupid and horrible to her and we stopped talking for a while, and I moved a long way away. We didn't talk for years and years, until I lost my job where I was living, and moved back. I started talking to her again, and we got back together a few months after that, but she was already expecting you, and we wanted to concentrate on keeping you happy before we got married. That's why it's taken us so long."

Poppy sighed, and hugged Percy tightly. Percy kissed the top of her head, and hugged her back. He couldn't help but smile. He loved that little girl more than anything else in the world.

"I wish you were my real Daddy." She mumbled.

Percy pushed her away gently, she she was standing on his knees, facing him.

"It doesn't matter if I'm your real Dad or not." Percy said, with a smile. "I love you like a real daughter, and I always, always will, alright?"

He pulled her into another tight hug.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" he asked, whispering in her ear.

She nodded, grinning. Percy smiled, took her under his arm, and walked into the living room, Poppy laughing and squealing, making Percy laugh too. He gently put her down on the couch, and threw the blanket over her, making her laugh again.

"What do you fancy?" he asked, staring into the DVD cupboard.

Poppy hopped off the couch, blanket still wrapped around her. She peered into the cupboard, smile, and produced _Finding Nemo_. Percy laughed. The second time that week.

"Nice choice." he said, with a wink, putting it on, and joining her on the couch. She snuggled under his arm, pulling the blanket tight under her chin. Percy resisted the urge to say the words along with the characters, which was difficult. After a while, he looked down at Poppy, her eyes closed, snoring softly. He smiled a little. "like her mother" He thought to himself.

_'"Annabeth?" Percy said, walking through the door. "I'm back."_

_As Percy expected, he was greeted by a four-year-old girl in her pyjamas, and a huge, toothy grin. He lifted her up into his arms, and blew a raspberry on her forehead. In return, he received a dirty look and had a tongue stuck out at him. He returned the gesture, before kissing her._

"_Where's your Mom?" He asked._

_Poppy put a finger to her lips._

"_Asleep." She whispered loudly. "she fell asleep on the couch. She's snoring."_

_Percy rolled his eyes._

"_Well, isn't she a lazy bones." He said. "And you, Mrs," He said. "Should be in bed. Have you done your teeth?"_

_She grinned at him, showing him that she had._

"_Come on then."_

_He took to her room, and tucked her into bed, closing the bedroom door quietly behind him. Unfortunately, Poppy took his mind off the task in hand, and the nerves came back, smashing into him harder than before. He was pretty sure she would say yes, but that didn't reassure him much. There was still a chance that she would say no. He took the small box from his coat pocket, and opened it, checking to see if the ring was still there, which it was, like it had been five minutes ago. He looked at it. He hoped he had made the right choice. It was simple, but by no means cheap. The band was platinum, so it would be harder to scratch in battle, and in the middle, perched a small diamond. He hoped, more than anything, that she'd like it._

_He stuffed it into his pocket, and crept into the living room, sitting on the edge of the couch, stroking Annabeth's hair. He saw a smile twitch at her lips, and kissed her cheek._

"_Good evening." He said, quietly._

_Annabeth opened an eye, and then the other one, before rubbing them._

"_What time is it?" She mumbled_

"_Nearly nine."_

_She sighed._

"_Sorry. I must've drifted off." She sat up, and stretched. "Is Poppy in bed?"_

_Percy nodded._

"_Yeah."_

_Annabeth sighed, and kissed his cheek._

"_Thank you." She said._

_Percy sat down beside her, throwing his head back, and rubbing his eyes. Annabeth leaned into him, her head on his shoulder. Percy wrapped his arm around her, kissing her temple. She shuffled, trying to get comfy, but couldn't. She fished around the couch, trying to find the pesky bump that was annoying her so much, until she reached Percy's pocket. She looked at him quizzically, and, in a panic, Percy took the box out of his pocket. Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him, and held her hand out. Percy shook his head with a nervous smile. He could feel himself shaking._

"_Nope." He said._

_Annabeth glared at him. He looked at her and sighed. There was no point in delaying it. He planted the box into her hand, trying to keep his from shaking._

_Annabeth looked at him curiously, and then looked down at his shaking hands and frowned._

"_Percy?"_

_he smiled a little._

"_Just open the bloody thing, will you?"_

_She opened it, and a tiny gasp escaped her lips. She looked at Percy, and then back at the ring, and then back at Percy._

"_Is this...?"_

"_An engagement ring." Percy supplied with a nervous smile. "Um... I was wondering if you'd marry me?"_

_Annabeth threw her arms around him, laughing and crying. She kissed his cheek, and hugged him tighter. Percy's arms snaked around her._

"_Can I take that as a yes?" He whispered, smiling a little._

_Annabeth pulled away from the hug, and kissed him, long and sweet, without anyone to interrupt._

"_Yes." She said, grinning, and wiping her eyes, and sitting back beside him in the couch, sliding the ring onto her finger, the smile glued to her face._

"_You like it, right?" Percy asked, quietly, taking her hand into his._

"_It's perfect, Seaweed Brain." She said, taking his arm and putting it around her shoulders._

_Percy smiled and sighed, the tense knot in his stomach loosening, the shaking stopped, and he felt like he could relax a little. Annabeth started chuckling quietly to herself, and Percy raised his eyebrows at her quizzically._

"_What?" He asked._

_Annabeth shook her head._

"_No." Percy said. "What?"_

_Annabeth smiled at him._

"_You're cute when you get nervous." She said. "You shake a lot, and you get all flustered."_

_Percy smiled._

"_Can you blame me?" He asked._

_Annabeth shook her head._

"_Not really." She said. "But I wouldn't have said no, Percy. You know that."_

_He nodded._

"_I probably did." He admitted, and then grinned, finding it difficult to believe they were getting married. "I love you."_

_Annabeth rolled her eyes._

"_I love you too, Seaweed Brain."_

Percy heard the front door close, and smiled. Home at last. He heard the familiar sound of the keys being dropped onto the side table, the unzipping of boots, Annabeth's muffled footsteps coming down the hall.

She came into the living room, opened her mouth to speak, but Percy smiled at her a placed a finger to his lips. Poppy stirred a little in her sleep, and she continued to snore softly. Annabeth crept over, leaning over the back of the couch, loosely wrapping her arms around Percy's neck, and kissing his cheek.

"Hey." She whispered.

Percy kissed her hands.

"Hey." He whispered back.

Annabeth smiled at the sight of her daughter, and Percy could see the pride lighting up a fire in her stomach. She always used to talk about building something permanent, and Percy knew they were well on their way to doing just that, and it was only the beginning. He looked down at the sleeping girl under his arm, and he couldn't deny that he felt that pride too. He gently brushed a hair from her face.

"Do you think we should put her to bed?" He whispered.

Annabeth nodded, and Percy stood, gently lifting Poppy up. She snuggled into him, and Percy kissed the side of her head. He took her into her bedroom, Annabeth following, and gently lay her in bed, pulling the covers under her chin.

He wrapped an arm around Annabeth's waist.

"Gods." He muttered.

Annabeth looked at him quizzically.

"I can't get over how much she looks like you." He said.

Annabeth smiled.

"Neither can I." She said, closing the curtains, kissing Poppy's forehead, and leaving the room with Percy. They sat on the couch together, Percy's arm around her shoulders.

"Have you found one yet?" He asked.

"What?"

Percy smiled a little.

"A dress."

Annabeth grinned, and judging by her expression, Percy figured she had. The wedding was a month away, and Percy could help but think... well, Annabeth was the most organised Person he had ever come across, and he couldn't help but think it was a little last minute for her.

"Took you long enough." He joked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"I had to find the right one, Seaweed Brain."

Percy rolled his eyes.

"You'd look beautiful in anything." He muttered.

Annabeth laughed.

"You are too cheesy for your own good, Perseus."

Percy laughed.

"You love it."


	2. Chapter 2

Percy stood in front of the mirror nervously. He was determined to make that day perfect, for him, and for Annabeth. She deserved a perfect wedding more than anyone else he had ever known, and he promised himself that he would give her just that. He tightened his tie, and sighed. It was as good as he was going to get. He ruffled his hair one last time, and walked out of the room.

It was weird, being in the house without his girls there. It was quiet. Too quiet. He wanted Poppy running round the house, asking him endless questions. He wanted Annabeth, laughing that cute snorty laugh that she always did when he did something stupid, which he heard often. He wanted to watch Finding Nemo for the hundredth time. It had only been one night, and he missed them so much his heart ached.

/

Annabeth slipped into her dress with a nervous smile that just wouldn't go away. It _was_ beautiful, and it was well worth all those months she spent digging through endless rails in wedding dress shops after work. It was simple – a vintage ivory dress with a small train, and lacy sleeves. Annabeth never thought she's be seen dead in a dress, let alone _like_ one.

She took one last look at her hair, and sighed heavily. She missed Percy. It just wasn't the same having Poppy around and not him. She thought back to when Poppy was a baby, and couldn't help but smile. He was a perfect father from the day she was born.

_Annabeth poked her head around the bedroom door, watching Percy. She had got home from work early, but Percy hadn't heard her come through the door, so he was totally oblivious._

_He leaned over the crib, looking down at the baby, waiting for her to wake up. He longed to see those grey eyes again, darker and mistier than Annabeth's, but equally as beautiful. He wanted to be there the second she woke, so she wouldn't cry again. So he could be there for her, like he would be until the day he would die. He stroked her cheek gently, barely touching her. She stirred in her sleep, and sighed, snoring gently._

_A small smile graced Percy's lips. Poppy's eyes fluttered open, and Percy took her into his arms gently, kissing her cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes curious, lifting her arms in the air. Percy chuckled, and touched each of her tiny fingers, making her giggle._

"_You are as bad as your mother." He whispered to her. "I'm supposed to be strong, you know. Saviour of Olympus and all that. I hate it. It wasn't just me, It was your Mom too. She did most of it, actually. But you -" He touched her nose. "I really can't get enough of you. Either of you. You make me go all weak, and I just can't really think when I'm looking or thinking about you. I realise how lucky I am. I did a really horrible think to your mother, and I still find it hard to believe she took me back."_

_Annabeth saw this as a cue to walk in. She stood at Percy's side, and rested a head on his shoulder. He jumped, blushed, and then smiled._

"_You're back early." He mumbled._

"_I know." She said. "I just fancied coming home."_

_Percy kissed her cheek. He was glad. He placed Poppy in her arms, and stroked the baby's cheek. She smiled up at him, and Percy couldn't help but smile back._

"_She doesn't look like she'll be going back to sleep." He mumbled, with a smirk._

_Annabeth smiled._

"_Come on." She said, and walked into the living room, and gently sitting on the couch. Percy sat beside her, and Annabeth sat Poppy on Percy's lap._

_He grinned, and bounced her up and down on his knee. She giggled and squealed with delight, and Percy and Annabeth shared a glance. Somehow, they had raised this perfect little girl for six months, and, for now, things were a little easier. He lifted her over his head, and blew raspberries in her stomach, making her squeal even more. Percy and Annabeth laughed, and Percy held the baby close to him, kissing the top of her head. Annabeth rested her head on his shoulder._

"_You know, Percy," Annabeth said, "I don't blame you for leaving. Not at all. I've said this before – I probably would have done if you hadn't. You _know_ we weren't really working out back then."_

_Percy nodded._

"_I know." He said. "It's just... I was a total knob back then. Maybe it wouldn't have had to happen." He smiled a little. "I don't even regret it though, that's the thing. For a start, we wouldn't have Poppy here, and I wouldn't realise how lucky I am. Whilst I was away, there were a quite a few women. They all had the same problem – they weren't you."_

_Annabeth smiled, and kissed Percy's cheek._

"_It's not going to happen again, Perseus. We're forever."_

_Percy grinned._

"_You think I don't know that?"_

Sally knocked and poked her head around the door, Annabeth smiled and nodded, inviting her in. Sally smiled widely, and sighed. They were at the church, twenty minutes before Annabeth was due to walk down the aisle. She was more nervous than she had ever been in her life.

"You look beautiful." She said, with a hand on her chest. "Percy's face is going to be a picture."

Annabeth smiled.

"You think?"

Sally nodded.

"For sure."

"Make sure your camera is charged, then."

Sally laughed.

"Oh, it is. Don't you worry." She said, and then smiled. "Poppy wants to see you."

An involuntary grin spread across Annabeth's face.

"Pops?!" She shouted.

The little girl walked into the room shyly, and Annabeth's heart melted to the floor. She wore a white bridesmaid's dress, and pink ballet shoes, a floral garland in her long, Auburn hair. Annabeth smiled, and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"You look like a princess." She whispered in her ear.

Poppy grinned widely.

"I wish I looked like you, Mommy."

Annabeth shook her head.

"No, baby, I wish I looked like you. You look so beautiful."

Poppy's face turned the colour of her hair, making Annabeth laugh a little. She looked at Sally.

"Have you seen Percy yet?"

Sally smiled and nodded.

"Yes." she said. "He's shaking like a leaf, bless him."

Annabeth laughed.

"I can guess." She said. "Can you tell me where he is? I need to talk to him."

Sally shook her head.

"It's bad luck."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"Really, Sally, I have kind of stopped believing in luck after everything that's happened."

Sally smiled sadly.

"Fair enough." She said. "Down the corridor, first door on the left."

Annabeth grinned.

"Thanks." She said, and dashed as quickly as she could down the corridor, before knocking on Percy's door.

"Yeah?" Annabeth couldn't help but smile when she heard his voice. She opened his door quietly, closing it behind her.

"Hey." She said.

Percy turned around, and his face went through what looked like a million emotions. He stood there, staring at her, until his lips curled into a smile, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank gods." He whispered. "I really needed to see you." He pulled away. "Gods. You look... I... you look gorgeous, Wise Girl."

Annabeth smiled shyly. She felt like a teenager again, on her first date.

"I needed to see you too." She said. "You look very handsome, Mr. Jackson."

He winked and grinned.

"Look, I really need to tell you something." Annabeth said, nervously. "It's kind of important. So..."

Percy raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Now?"

Annabeth nodded.

"Wow, alright." He said. "It must be important."

Annabeth took a breath.

"I'm... we're... I'm pregnant, Percy. I just... it wasn't how it -"

She was cut off with a kiss from Percy, and a hug that squeezed all the air from her lungs.

"was supposed to happen." She finished. "We were supposed to be married first and -"

Percy grinned, and the knot in her stomach loosened. She realised most of the nerves were because of telling him this.

"What difference does one day make?" He said, the huge smile still plastered on his face.

Annabeth couldn't help but smile back.

"It doesn't."

Percy grinned, and pulled her back into his arms. There was a knock at the door, and it opened slightly. Sally. She smiled.

"Guys, you've got two minutes."

Percy raised his eyebrows, and pulled away, kissing Annabeth's cheek.

"I'll see you in a minute, Wise Girl." He whispered in her ear. "We'll talk about this later, if we get a chance."

Annabeth nodded.

"See you at the altar!" She said, as he walked out the room.

Percy turned and winked, leaving the room.


	3. Chapter 3

"They're going to notice, you know. It's kinda weird not to be drinking on your wedding day."

They were sat in the wedding car, on the way to the wedding party. The driver was slow, thank the gods – it gave them more time to talk. They were married, finally, and neither of them could stop smiling. Percy found himself pinching his arm every so often to check if it was real. When he told Annabeth she looked gorgeous, it was a total understatement. She looked breathtaking – literally. Every time he looked at her, his breath hitched, and his heart did a gymnastics routine under his ribcage. Just like very other day. He took her hand.

"We should probably tell them, then." He said. "It's kind of convenient, having them all here in one place."

Annabeth smiled a little wider.

"I guess it is."

Percy was still dazed. Another baby was something he hadn't expected right then, but it was a dream he never realised he had.

"Wow." Percy said, under his breath. Despite it being a huge cliché, today had been the best day of his life, and it had hardly even started yet. "Poppy's going to be so excited."

Annabeth grinned and nodded.

"I know." She said. "We need to try to tell her before everyone else. It's kind of a huge thing."

"No kidding." Percy said, with a contented sigh. "How long have you known?"

Annabeth blushed a little.

"I kind of guessed a month ago." She said, with a sheepish smile. "For sure, three days. Couldn't find the right time to tell you."

Percy raised his eyebrows so high Annabeth was afraid they'd shoot off his forehead.

"A month?"

Annabeth looked at her hand.

"Yeah... sorry. I guess I should have taken the test sooner"

Percy laughed softly.

"Hey, don't apologise." He said, with a wide smile. "I couldn't be happier. Really... I can't believe... Wow. Bit of a crazy day, huh?" He smiled, and elbowed her gently. "Mrs. Jackson."

Annabeth laughed, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah. I guess it has. Sorry I left it so late telling you."

Percy smiled.

"Don't worry about it."

He looked out the window, and there were all his friends, his family, even a few gods. He saw Poppy, and he tunnelled his vision. He hadn't really had a chance to talk to her all day, and he thought she looked pretty adorable in her bridesmaid's dress. He squeezed Annabeth's hand, and got out the car. Poppy ran into his arms, and he laughed, lifting her into the air and kissing her cheek. Suddenly, Annabeth was beside him, and nothing could have been much better right then.

They walked into the garden together. Zeus had promised to keep the weather good for them, and he was living up to his promise. The sun beat down on them, and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

Guests crowded around them, offering hugs and congratulations. Finally, the crowd eased off, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Percy turned to Poppy.

"Having a good time?" He asked her.

She nodded enthusiastically, and Percy kissed her forehead, before glancing at Annabeth, who smiled and nodded.

"Can you keep a secret?" He asked.

She smiled.

"Of course I can keep a secret, Daddy." She said, rolling her eyes. Percy could have sworn she was turning into a teenager already.

"This is really important though, Pops." Annabeth said. "You seriously can't tell anyone until we say you can."

She nodded again.

"Can you tell me now?" she pleaded.

Percy smiled, and put her down on the floor, crouching down in front of her. He brushed a hair from her face.

"Look how grown up you've got." He mumbled, with a sad smile. "Anyway, how would you feel about being a big sister?"

She smiled really wide.

"I'd really like that, Daddy!" She said. "As long as I don't have a brother. Boys smell."

Percy laughed, and glanced at Annabeth, who also crouched down.

"We don't have much control over that, I'm afraid." Annabeth said. "But the thing is, in a few months time, I'm going to have a baby, so you're going to have to be really grown up and really well behaved because babies are pretty hard work."

Poppy frowned, taking it all in.

"So I'm going to be a sister?" she said.

Percy smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." he said, "but," he stage whispered, "soon enough, Mommy's going to get all fat and moody," And demanding, he thought "so you've really got to try really hard to be good, okay?"

He glanced at Annabeth, who rolled her eyes. She knew he was right, though, so she didn't say anything.

_Percy and Annabeth lay in Percy's bed one morning, Annabeth very pregnant, Percy very hungry. He rubbed his eyes to find Annabeth still asleep beside him. He smiled, unable to help it, curling up so he was facing her. He had missed five years spending time with his Wise Girl, and he didn't plan on wasting another moment of it. She opened her eyes, and Percy smiled a little, taking her hand. She smiled back, and kissed his cheek._

"_I'm hungry." She said._

_Percy rolled his eyes. He _knew_ she was after something, but kissed her back anyway, before rolling out of bed._

"_What do you want?" He asked, with a stretch, rubbing his eyes._

_Annabeth thought for a moment._

"_A bacon and egg sandwich." She said. "Please." She added._

_Percy smiled._

"_Anything else?"_

"_Coffee." She said. "Make sure the bacon's crispy and the egg's runny. And not too much ketchup."_

_Percy snorted._

"_Is that all?" He asked, sarcastically._

_Annabeth huffed._

"_Gods, Percy." She grumbled. "It's not like I'm asking you for the world, is it? I would do it myself, but, you know, I thought I deserved a break."_

_Percy almost laughed. It was so unlike her to snap like that. He didn't realise what hormones could do. He kissed her cheek._

"_I was joking, Annabeth." He said, softly._

_She blushed, and Percy did laugh then,_

"_Don't worry about it." He said, with a grin. "Back in a flash."_

Poppy wrapped her arms around Annabeth's neck in a hug. Annabeth smiled at Percy, and pulled her daughter closer to her. She and Percy were her world, and she couldn't be more happy that that world would have an extra person in it. It had been more that five years since Poppy, and she couldn't deny that she had really been wanting another baby for quite a while. Poppy let go, and kissed her Mom's cheek.

"I am _so_ excited, Mommy. I am going to be so good Mommy, I promise. And even if it is a stinky boy I will be happy too." she said. "But don't tell him that. Can I name it, please?" She begged. "Pretty Please?"

Annabeth shook her head.

"We'll see." She said. "We'll all get a say on the baby's name, okay?"

Poppy nodded.

"Okay."

Percy smiled.

"Just keep those lips sealed, okay Pops?" He said. "Or there'll be trouble."

Poppy nodded, and dashed off into the crowd.

Percy stood up and took Annabeth's hand, squeezing it a little. Annabeth looked down at their joined hands, and smiled to herself. She was _married._ She was going to have a baby. Maybe things would go right for her for once. Percy looked at his watch.

"I give it... ten minutes?" He said. "And Poppy would have told every single person here."

Annabeth laughed.

"I know." she said. "Make it five, actually. Look at her." Poppy was chatting to Poseidon, obviously still pretty excited, and judging by Poseidon's face and the way he glanced at Percy, she had told him. "What are we going to do with her?"

Percy sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

"I should probably go and talk to him." He said.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"He'll be fine about it, Percy. How bad can it be? It's his first grandchild."

Percy looked at her.

"Second."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean." She said. Percy smiled, and looked at her.

"You look really beautiful, you know." He said.

She blushed.

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

Percy laughed.

"No." He said. "And you know how much I love you, right?"

Annabeth nodded

"Yes, Percy."

"I don't think you do." He said, and pecked her on the lips.

Annabeth nodded.

"Oh, I do." She said. "It's mutual, you see."

Percy smiled, and pulled her close to him, watching his family and friends have a good time. He realised that everything her had even done had come down to this point, and he knew it was all so worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a Saturday morning, three months after the wedding. Percy awoke, smiling at the sunlight shining through the curtains. The days were getting colder, and the leaves on the trees turned rusty. Summer was over. Percy liked autumn. There was something so special about the hazy sunshine, and the leaves on the ground. Or sitting inside with his family on a rainy day. He turned over, and wrapped his arm around Annabeth's waist, his thumb brushing over her growing stomach.

Annabeth, having been awake for a while, smiled and placed her hand over his, locking their fingers together. Percy kissed the back of her neck,and sighed, wishing moments like these could last forever.

That's when the door opened, and Poppy bounded in. Annabeth turned over to face Percy, smiling a little.

_How does she have so much energy in the morning? _ He mouthed.

Annabeth shrugged, and Percy rolled his eyes.

"Good Morning, Poppy." He croaked, rubbing his eyes and looking up to the ceiling.

"Hi Daddy!" She said, jumping onto the bed, and wriggling under the covers between them. "Are you excited?"

Percy racked his brain. What was he forgetting?

"Why?" He croaked. Annabeth slapped his arm. He cursed silently. It must've been pretty important.

"We're going to see the baby today, silly." Poppy said, grinning.

Percy raised his eyebrows, and looked at Annabeth.

"That's today?" He asked. "Holy. Zeus, that's come round quick."

Annabeth nodded and smiled.

"I know." She said.

"Well," Percy said, "I guess that means we need to get up then, don't we, Pops?"

He tickled her, rolled out of bed, and lifted her up, holding her over his shoulder, grinning and winking at Annabeth, who was laughing. She couldn't help but wonder when Percy and Poppy together had become the cutest thing in the world, and how Percy suddenly became a perfect father the second she was born, and how he had gone about life calling her his own daughter when he knew she never wasn't. When did she deserve a man like this?

"Poppy and I will get dressed, and handle breakfast." he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek, Poppy still squealing. "You get first turn in the bathroom. I'd say you have... fifteen minutes? I was thinking something along the lines of sausage sandwiches with plenty of ketchup."

Annabeth smiled.

"Sounds good." she said, sitting up, rubbing her eyes. "And put Poppy down."

Percy rolled his eyes, and gently put her on the floor. She ran over to hug her mother, before kissing her stomach. Percy and Annabeth shared a glance of absolute adoration for this little girl. Poppy disappeared into her bedroom to get changed, as did Percy. She came back in a again, and Percy placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her out of the room, going straight into the kitchen and sitting her up on the counter.

"Daddy?" Poppy asked.

"Yeah baby?" He said, whilst making breakfast.

"Can they tell if it's a boy or a girl yet?" She asked.

Percy thought for a moment.

"I don't really know." He admitted. "I hope so."

"So why do we even go, then?" She asked.

Percy smiled.

"Just to check the baby and Mommy are okay, and so they can tell us when they think the baby's going to come."

Poppy nodded.

"Okay." She said. "The baby's okay though, right?"

Percy nodded.

"As far as I know." He said.

Poppy smiled, obviously satisfied by this.

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl, Daddy? I think it's a girl."

"I think it's a girl too." Percy admitted.

Poppy grinned, and Annabeth walked into the kitchen, switching on the kettle.

"What are you guys talking about?" She asked, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Percy's cheek. He smiled.

"Daddy thinks the baby's a girl. So do I." Poppy said. "What do you think, Mommy?"

Annabeth raised her eyebrows at Percy.

"Does he now?" She asked. "Well, I think he's a boy."

Percy laughed, and rolled his eyes.

"There's always one." he said, taking the sausages out the oven.

They sat around the table.

"So what time's this appointment, then?" He asked.

Both girls looked at each other, and then at Percy.

"Half-eleven." They both said.

Percy checked his watch, before raising his eyebrows.

"It's ten past now so..."

Annabeth swore, and cupped a hand over her mouth. Thankfully, Poppy didn't notice. She was too busy running round the house looking for her coat. Percy laughed, and kissed her cheek.

"Close call, Wise Girl." He said. "Don't worry. We'll get there in time."

He threw her her coat, and opened the front door.

"Everybody out." He said.

/

They sat in the hospital waiting room, Percy with his arm around Annabeth's shoulders, his legs outstretched. He was tying his best to look calm, bless him, but it wasn't really working out.

"You look like you're about to jump out the window." She said.

Percy smiled.

"I was considering it earlier, but I figured I am kind of excited for this so..."

Annabeth laughed, and elbowed him a little.

"I'm not surprised." She said. "This is your first."

Percy rolled his eyes.

"Second." He said.

Annabeth smiled.

"I know, Percy." She said. "But _technically_ this one's your first."

"I didn't know there was anything technical about it." He said. "It didn't seem technical at the time."

Annabeth slapped his arm.

"You're sitting next to a five-year-old." She reminded him.

Percy glanced at Poppy, who was showing no interest in their conversation at all.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She knew exactly how Percy felt. She felt the same way when she came here when she was expecting Poppy. And she had to do it alone.

"_Annabeth Chase?"_

_Her name was called, and she stood up. She felt all the sympathetic eyes on her. She lifted her chin up, trying to look proud. Who cared that she was on her own?_

_She did. She wished she'd asked Percy to come with her. He was her friend. Knowing him, he would have wanted to go. She cursed silently. She might be a daughter of Athena, but her brain came up with the right ideas at the wrong time._

_At least she was going to his afterwards. She still loved him, as much as she didn't like admitting it. She still loved him more than anything. And she still loved him more and more everyday._

_She knew the drill by now. She had done this a couple of times before, but it didn't make her any less nervous._

_The midwife turned around and smiled at her._

"_Hi Annabeth." She said. "I guess you know what to do by now."_

_Annabeth laughed, and sat down on the be, lifting up her t-shirt._

"_So, hopefully," the midwife said, switching on a load of machines, "I can tell what the gender is today. I take it you want to find out?"_

"_Yeah, I do." She said. "I made a a bet with my friend. He reckons it's a girl. I reckon it's a boy."_

_The midwife laughed._

"_I'm with your friend on this one." She said, squeezing the jelly onto her stomach. "You've got a girly bump."_

_Annabeth laughed and gasped at the same time because of the cold. The midwife smiled apologetically, and Annabeth shrugged it off, and looked up at the screen, smiling as the little figure came up. The midwife smiled._

"_I hope you didn't bet too much." she said. "Your friend was right."_

_Annabeth grinned, raising her eyebrows._

"_Seriously?" She asked._

"_Seriously."_

_Annabeth smiled a little wider. _

"_I guess I was always expecting her to be a boy."_

"_Nope, she's definitely a girl." She said. "Everything's totally fine."_

_Annabeth smiled, and the knot in her stomach loosened. At least now she had found Percy again, she wasn't alone. She believed him when he said he wasn't going to run away again. She had already forgiven him for what he had done, and she hoped that he had forgiven her. She was so glad to have him back._

Her name was called. And Percy squeezed her hand, and stood up. Poppy jumped from her seat and walked ahead of them, smiling back at them excitedly. Percy shook his head a little, and chuckled, before sighing, and wiping his hands on his jeans. Annabeth smiled up at him reassuringly, and Percy rolled his eyes.

"I know" He mumbled. "I'm fine."

Annabeth pecked his cheek, and walked into the room. She sat on the bed, Percy beside her on the chair, pulling Poppy onto his lap, holding onto her whilst he bounced his legs up and down, making her giggle.

The midwife turned around, and smiled. Annabeth laughed.

"I know you." Annabeth said. "I had you last time."

The midwife nodded, smiling. And then she looked at Poppy.

"Is this Poppy?"

Annabeth nodded. The midwife shook her head.

"Time flies." She looked at Percy. "And this is...?"

"The guy I made the bet with." She said. "But we got married."

The midwife placed a hand on her chest, and smiled.

"I love a good love story." She said.

Percy and Annabeth laughed. Percy smiled at Annabeth.

"It's not that romantic." He said.

"I find that hard to believe." The midwife said, writing things in her book and turning on machines. Annabeth glared at Percy, who smiled sheepishly.

"It is, Perseus."

Percy rolled his eyes, and told the midwife the whole story of him coming back ans going into the coffee shop, and seeing someone he recognised, and their friendship, and then Christmas. The midwife smiled.

"It _Is_ romantic." She said, and gestured for Annabeth to lift her top up, which she did. She looked at Percy. "So this is your first?"

Percy nodded.

"Technically, yes." He said, but then kissed the top of Poppy's head. "But it feels like she's my second."

Poppy smiled up at Percy, and kissed his cheek back, making him smile, and hold her tighter. He took Annabeth's hand, and squeezed it gently. Annabeth turned to him and did a half-smile that made Percy's brain fuzz a little. Gods, he loved her. He looked up at the screen, and grinned. Poppy looked at him.

"What's that, Daddy?" She whispered.

"That,"he said. "Is your little brother or sister."

He took his eyes off the screen to glance at Annabeth, who smiled back at him.

"I can tell you if it's a boy or a girl, if you want?"

Percy grinned and nodded. She smiled.

"So what do you think it is?" she asked.

"Pops and I think it's a girl. Annabeth thinks it's a boy."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth, but you're wrong again. She's a girl. And she's totally fine, so there's nothing to worry about there."

Percy looked at Annabeth with a smile. Things just got better and better.


	5. Chapter 5

Percy was cleaning. And bored. Poppy was at school. Annabeth had the day off work, but was checking her emails. He still had no job, because both he and Annabeth agreed that there was no point – someone would have to stay at home to look after the baby anyway, and that time was getting closer and closer.

Percy was absolutely and undeniably nervous, as much as he hated to admit it. He didn't even understand why – he had done it before. He shook his head to himself, and ran a hand through his hair, looking around the kitchen. It was pretty much spotless, even for Annabeth's standards. Percy smiled. Free at last.

Until there was a knock at the door. He sighed, and put the cloth down.

"Can you get that, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked.

"I know," he said. "I'm on it."

He opened the door, and there stood a man. The man regarded Percy slowly, and he looked like he had just realised something. Percy looked at the man quizzically.

"Um, Hi?" Percy said.

The man blinked, and held his hand out. Percy shook it uncertainly.

"Is, ah, Annabeth around?"

Percy nodded.

"Yeah, but..." He glanced into the house, looking at Annabeth sat in the corner on her laptop. "Um, who are you?"

The man sighed.

"I'm Rob." He said, miserably. "She's probably told you all about me."

Percy racked his brain, and it went back to a conversation they had the second time he had seen her again. His expression hardened, and he studied the man again. He knew the auburn hair, his nose. They were Poppy's. Percy shook his head. He could smell fags, and maybe a touch of alcohol. He didn't like him already. He crossed his arms.

"Look. I'll pass on that you're sorry, okay?" He said. "I really don't think seeing her is a good -"

"What's going on?" Annabeth appeared beside him, and looked at the man in the doorway. Her expression turned steely.

"You." she said, bitterly. "I told you not to come back. I don't want to see you, or even speak to you ever again. Okay?"

She went to slam the door, but he held it open.

"Annabeth." he said. "I can see that you're happy. I'm not here to try to ruin that for you. I just came here to tell you... well, to tell you I've changed. I'm not that guy anymore."

Percy snorted.

"It doesn't smell like it, mate." He said.

Rob frowned.

"Did I ask you to get involved, _mate_?" Rob looked at Annabeth. "Look, I'm happy for you. I just heard, well..." he gestured to her stomach. "Well I heard this isn't your first baby."

Annabeth looked taken aback. She sighed, and shook her head. She certainly did not want to bring Poppy into this. She didn't need messing around like that. She was still so young.

"Annabeth, are you sure you want to -" Percy started.

"He deserves to know." Annabeth said. "Just... go inside."

Percy looked uncertain.

"Go!" She said, raising her voice a little. She sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean... I'll be fine, Percy."

Percy sighed, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder for a second, giving Rob one last look of loathing, before going back into the apartment. Annabeth sighed again.

"I have no idea who told you, or how you found out, but yes, I do have a daughter, and yes, she is yours. And I really hope you understand why I don't want you to see her. She's five years old, and I really can't mess her around like that. She knows Percy is not her real father, but she loves him to pieces, and he loves her to pieces."

Rob sighed.

"I really hope you understand why I _want_ to see her." He said, frowning.

Annabeth shook her head.

"I don't trust you." She said. "And she's happy. I think that should be enough for you."

He nodded sadly, and sighed.

"I guess you're right." He said. "And Percy. I'm really glad you're happy, Annabeth. Both of you... can you at least tell me her name?"

"Poppy." Annabeth said.

He nodded, and smiled a little.

"One day, when she's older... could you tell her I came? That I do... you know... care?"

Annabeth nodded.

"I will." She said. "I promise."

"I guess I'll be going." He said. "I just... I really am sorry."

"I know." Annabeth said, and went back into the apartment, closing the door. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door, and felt a single tear drip down her cheek. And then Percy was there, pulling her into his arms. He didn't say anything – he didn't need to. As long as he was there, nothing mattered. She remembered how distraught she was when she found him, and she had just revisited all those feelings. She loved Rob then, but still loved Percy more. She thought he would make her forget, but she never would. She never could.

"_I'm home!" she said, slipping off her shoes with a contented sigh, and taking off her sodden coat. She put the keys on the table, and switched the kettle on._

"_Rob?" She called. He was off work all day. Granted, she was home early but..._

_She heard voices in the bedroom. Panicked voices. She knew one of them, but the other... Her heart tightened into a ball, threatening to break. Annabeth ignored this, letting the anger fill her up, before bursting into the bedroom, and standing at the door, where two women stood, eyes wide with fear, guilt. Annabeth's eyes burned. How could he do this? What did she do to deserve this?_

_I will not cry, she promised herself._

_The women hurried out the room, slamming the front door behind them. Rob just sat there looking at her._

"_I'm -" He started._

_Annabeth shook her head._

"_No, you're not." She said. "I can see it. I just... why would you do this?" She heard her voice crack, and silently cursed herself. "Am I not enough for you, Rob? Is that it?"_

"_Annabeth... I -"_

_Annabeth shook her head in disbelief._

"_What makes you think you can fix this?!" She shouted. "I catch you with two other women, and you expect me to be okay with that?"_

_Rob remained silent._

"_That's all women are to you." She hissed. "Toys. You know... I thought you loved me. I really did. Well, I made another mistake, because hey, you don't!"_

"_I did love you, Annabeth." He said. "I really did."_

"_Then why didn't you leave when you stopped loving me?" She asked. "because, maybe I could've got on with my life. It wouldn't have to end like this, Rob."_

_He sighed._

"_I didn't know how to tell you." he mumbled. "I didn't want to hurt you."_

"_You didn't want to hurt me?" Annabeth snorted in disbelief. "Well, this hurt me more, I'll tell you that."_

"_I -"_

_Annabeth shook her head._

"_I'm sorry, Rob." She said. "So sorry that I met you. Just go, Okay? I don't want to see you again. Don't try to find me. Just, go and do what you want. You don't have me holding you back anymore. Just go."_

_He nodded, shoved all his clothes into a bag, and left, without another word. And Annabeth broke down. She cried. The only two men she ever loved had fallen through her fingers. Gone in a flash. She didn't deserve this. Not after everything else. For the first time in a year, she yearned for Percy. She wanted the boy with green eyes and black hair to wrap his arm around her shoulders, and tell her it would be okay. But he was long gone. Too far away. He had probably forgotten about her by now._

_Blinded with sorrow and grief, she lay on the bed, to numb to cry. Sleep washed over her, and she wished her eyes would never have to open again._

Percy kept his arms around her. He had no idea what he had said, and no desire to know. He knew what he had done to her, and he didn't want to see his face again. He rested his face on the top of her head, sighing into her hair. He didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent. He could feel the baby kick against the hug, and smiled a little. He felt Annabeth smile against his chest, and pulled away, wiping the tears away with his thumb with a little smile.

Annabeth smashed her lips against his, which took Percy by surprise, but he gladly responded. She pulled away.

"I love you, Percy." She said. "So, so much."

Percy's eyes flashed with concern.

"I love you too." He said, with a tiny smile. "What did he say to you?"

Annabeth shook her head.

"It doesn't matter." She said. "I just... I'm so glad you came back, Percy. When Rob left, I just wanted you. I didn't think I'd see you again. Gods, I thought you'd forgotten about me."

Percy shook his head.

"I would never forget you, Wise Girl." He said. "I never stopped thinking about you."

She fell into his arms again, and Percy kissed the top of her head.

"Seaweed brain." She muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

Annabeth got out of bed late that morning. She knew that because Percy was already up. She rubbed her eyes, and stretched, rolling out of bed, instantly going to the bathroom, before shuffling into the kitchen, to find Percy and Poppy at the kitchen table, Percy reading to her. His dyslexia had improved a lot over the years. She stood at the door frame, watching them and smiling. Those two were her everything. He raised his head a little, and smiled at Annabeth and winking, before continuing to read. He was on the last page anyway.

When he had finished, her gently lifted Poppy from his lap, and sauntered over to peck Annabeth's cheek. She smiled.

"What are you guys doing today?" She asked, sitting at the table. Poppy hopped onto her lap, and Annabeth kissed the top of her head.

"Daddy promised that he would take me to the park if it doesn't rain." She glanced out of the window hopefully, smiling at the hazy autumn sunshine.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him.

"Did he now?" She asked with a grin.

Percy nodded and smiled back, switching on the kettle.

"He did." He admitted. "Are you coming? I'll take you for a coffee after."

Annabeth laughed and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Are you trying to bribe me Perseus?"

Percy laughed, and Annabeth kissed the side of Poppy's head.

"Go on Pops." She said. "Go and get dressed."

Poppy nodded, and took off to her room. Annabeth smiled and shook her head, taking a sip from her tea Percy just handed her, and sitting back in her chair. Percy sat opposite her, and smiled a little.

"You going to come?" he asked.

Annabeth smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." She said. "I can't say no to a free coffee."

Percy laughed, and took another sip from his tea.

"You guys were cute this morning." Annabeth said, raising her eyebrows.

Percy rolled his eyes.

"Yes, because I am absolutely adorable." He said, sarcastically.

"Actually, you kind of are." Annabeth said, with a smirk.

Percy raised an eyebrow, before grabbing her hand, and pulling her onto his lap, Annabeth laughing so much her sides hurt. He cut it off with endless kisses, getting longer each time, grinning onto her lips, Annabeth pulling him closer to her. He pulled away one last time, smiling, kissing the end of her nose.

"I love you." He said.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"I love you too." He said, with a half-smile that made Annabeth go weak at the knees. As if the kissing wasn't enough.

He wrapped his arms around her, his hand on her bump. Annabeth smiled, her head on his shoulder. The baby kicked, and she grinned. It was the first time, and she looked up at Percy.

"Did you feel that?" She asked.

He grinned, and nodded, Poppy walking in right on cue. Percy gestured for her to come closer, which she did, smiling. He took her hand, and put it where his was, sneaking his on top so he could still feel it. Poppy looked up at them in awe, and then smiled.

"Is that -"

Percy nodded.

"Your sister." Percy said.

Poppy grinned, and then sighed.

"How long now, Mommy?" She asked. "I just want to meet her."

Annabeth smiled.

"Supposedly 5th February." She said. "About four months. But," She stage whispered. "I think she'll be late, because Daddy's always late."

Poppy sighed.

"I hope not." She mumbled. "I just want to see her."

Percy smiled.

"So do we." He said, resting his head on Annabeth's shoulder. Annabeth kissed the side of his face, grinning.

"Ew." Poppy complained.

Percy and Annabeth laughed, and Annabeth got off Percy's lap, kissing his nose.

"I'm going to take a shower." She said, before disappearing into the bathroom.

He liked being alone with Poppy. He loved it, in fact. And he loved that rebellious side that she had, like he did. One night, he came home from camp really late, because there was a situation involving a drakon and a new Hades camper, which wasn't pretty at all, and poppy was sat on the floor, waiting for him.

"_Poppy?" Percy whispered, sternly. "What are you doing up so late?"_

_She shuffled back into the corner, thinking that she was going to get into trouble, hiding from Percy. He smiled, and crouched down in front of her, putting a finger to his lips. She grinned, and giggled a little as Percy took her into his arms._

"_Don't." He whispered, bopping her nose. "Tell." Again. "Mommy." And again._

_Poppy nodded, and pretended to zip up her mouth, making Percy laugh. He crept into the kitchen, closing the door quietly and turning on the light, putting her back on the floor, checking the clock, and sighing._

"_It's almost one o'clock, Pops." He said. "How long had you been there?"_

_She shook her head, and looked at the floor._

"_I don't know." She whispered, loudly. "I wanted you to come home."_

_Percy's heart melted, and he sat down on the kitchen chair, lifting her onto his lap, kissing the side of her head._

"_I _always_ come and say goodnight to you, sweetheart. _Always_. Next time, I want you to stay in bed, okay?"_

_Poppy nodded, looking at Percy guiltily._

"_Sorry Daddy." She mumbled, and Percy laughed._

"_It's alright." He said, before standing up, Poppy still in his arms, and handed her a biscuit from the tin, a finger to his lips. Poppy smiled, and took it, eating it slowly, nibbling at the corners._

"_You're the best daddy in the world." She whispered, and Percy smiled, holding her a little tighter._

"_You're the best daughter in the world." He whispered back, kissing her nose. "I love you, kiddo."_

_He felt her smile against his shoulder._

"_I love you too, Daddy." She said. The next thing he knew, she was fast asleep in his arms._

"Ready to go, guys?" Annabeth asked, walking (or waddling) into the kitchen, sunglasses on her head. Percy smiled and nodded, kissing her cheek.

"Go and get your shoes on, Pops." Percy said. "We'll be out in a minute."

Poppy nodded enthusiastically, and dashed out of the room. Percy smiled, shaking his head a little, watching her scrambling in the box for her shoes. Annabeth looked at him.

"What?" She asked.

Percy shook his head again.

"Nothing." He said, smiling a little. "She's just a really sweet kid."

Annabeth nodded.

"Yeah." She said. "We did a good job of something for once."

Percy laughed, and his arm snaked around her waist.

"We sure did."


	7. Chapter 7

"I just can't believe you didn't tell me!" Annabeth shouted. "I thought I could trust you! This is my daughter we're talking about here!"

Percy sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

"It didn't seem important. Poppy didn't get hurt. I only had a few scrapes and bruises. I don't get what the big deal is."

"Oh, it's a big deal, Percy." Annabeth hissed. "She can _see_. She might start attracting them when she's older. She – oh my gods – she might have to go to camp. Do you know how _important _this is for her future? And you couldn't even tell me!"

The incident Annabeth was referring to was a few weeks ago, involving Percy, Poppy, and some hellhounds. Percy sighed. The memory was still as clear as day. The fear on Poppy's face tore him to pieces.

_Percy lay on the couch, watching the TV quietly on a Friday evening. Annabeth was late home from work, as usual, and Poppy was playing in her room. He must have dozed off, because he woke up to a familiar redhead shaking his shoulder vigorously. Percy's eyebrows furrowed with concern._

"_Daddy, you gotta wake up!" She said, tears running down her cheeks, her eyes a vision of terror. "There are huge dogs outside! They're coming to eat me! Please!"_

"_Shit." Percy muttered under his breath, jumping up and peering through the gap in the curtains, before groaning. He thought they would have given up on him by now. He looked down at Poppy, who was crying into his leg. He crouched down and looked at her sternly._

"_Poppy, look at me." Her grey eyes met his, tears still streaming down them. "You've got to calm down, okay?" She nodded, wiping her eyes. "You've got to listen to me. This is really important. I need you to go upstairs into the bathroom, and spray yourself with something. Mom's perfume, my aftershave, anything you can find. Put loads on so they can't smell you, okay? And then I want you to go into mine and Mommy's room, close the door, and hide in the wardrobe until I tell you it's okay to come out, got it?" Poppy nodded, but still looked terrified. Her eyes teared up again, and Percy sighed deeply, pulling her into a tight hug. "Be brave, Pops. It's all going to be alright. I promise."_

_He took her face in his hands, and kissed her forehead._

"_Be really quiet. I love you, okay? It's going to be fine." He pulled away, and pushed her gently towards the bathroom. She looked back at him, and he gave her a tiny smile and a wink. She gave him a brave thumbs up, making Percy smile a little, and she disappeared into the bathroom._

_Percy sighed, uncapped his sword, and stepped outside. He found himself face-to-face with five hellhounds, which was exactly what he didn't need right then. He was already worried enough with the baby. He shook his head. Monsters have the worst timing._

"_Who's first?" He mumbled, before pointing to one. "How about you, Scooby Doo?"_

_Obviously offended, all five of them started towards him._

_"Oh, balls." He muttered. "Did _not_ plan for that."_

_And with that, he slashed the head off the first, and then the next, and then the next, until all that was left of them was a pile of monster dust, and a few cuts on his hands and face._

Percy rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. Truthfully, he hadn't even considered telling Annabeth. It just melted into the back of his mind, until Poppy brought it up over dinner that evening. And Percy, judging by the glare directed at him, was in big trouble. Worse still, Annabeth was eight months pregnant, and Annabeth was scary enough as it was, but the wrath of pregnant, hormonal Annabeth, was, to put it mildly, not good.

"I didn't even think about it." Percy admitted, knowing telling the truth was his best bet. "I just sort of forgot about it. I had other things on my mind."

Annabeth crossed her arms.

"What, exactly, could possibly be more important than a pack of hellhounds arriving at the doorstep?" Annabeth asked, seething now, her face flushed with anger.

Percy rolled his eyes, finding it difficult to stay calm.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me, Jackson."

"Oh, last name." He said, sarcastically. "You are positively _terrifying_ Annabeth. To answer your question, our unborn daughter, and Poppy, and keeping them safe."

"You are such a child sometimes!" Annabeth positively screamed. "I can't deal with this right now. I'm going out."

Percy placed a strong hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. Despite his anger, he still had that worried glint in his eyes.

"Annabeth, it's eleven at night, in the middle of January, and you're eight months pregnant. See what I'm getting at here?"

Annabeth groaned and huffed.

"I honestly don't care right now, Percy. Just... we need some time apart."

Percy was duly devastated, but he tried not to show it. He looked into her eyes, and ran a hand through his hair.

"You mean... permanently?"

Annabeth shook her head.

"No." She said. "You're infuriating, and you're an idiot, and I am _so_ angry with you right now, but I love you. You just make it fucking hard sometimes."

Percy couldn't contain the sigh of relief that escaped him. He nodded, struggling to say a word.

"I'll go, then." He said. "I'll go to Mom's for a few days."

Annabeth nodded.

"Call me when -" They both said at the same time, and they both had to suppress smiles, which wasn't difficult – they were both still fuming.

"Okay." Percy said, and walked towards the door. And then someone else popped into his mind – Poppy. "Uh, tell Poppy I've... gone to help my Dad out with something for a couple of days. Unless you want to tell her the truth. I'll leave it up to you. Tell her I'll miss and that I love her."

Annabeth nodded, but her expression made it clear that she wanted him to leave.

Percy gave Poppy's door a long, wistful look, before giving the same look to Annabeth, before closing the door behind him.

* * *

**A/N I feel like I'm trolling you r/n. sorry. It's not going to last long, don't worry.**


	8. Chapter 8

Percy shuffled into the kitchen. He was feeling positively miserable. It had been a week, and he hadn't had any contact from Annabeth. The worst part was the fact he had no job, so all he could do was mope around and let his heart ache. He missed his Wise Girl more than anything, and he missed Poppy just as much. He would wonder if she ever thought about him, too, since she had finished work, and Poppy would be at school.

He looked at his phone, in the naïve hope that she had called him. No. He sighed, shaking his head, and putting it back in his pocket.

"Percy." Sally said, sitting beside him quietly. "You need to stop moping."

Percy sighed, and put his head in his hands.

"I can't." He muttered. "I miss my girls too much."

Sally placed a reassuring hand on his back, and he, like he was a kid again, leaned against her. Sally smiled sadly.

"Come on, Percy." She said, gently. "Just call her."

Percy shook his head.

"I can't." He moaned. "I feel bad enough already. I don't want to make things worse."

Sally sighed deeply, and shook her head a little, patting his back.

"Look, I'm going to go see them today, anyway. I'll tell Annabeth you miss her."

Percy frowned.

"Why are you going to see her?"

Sally rolled her eyes.

"I'm very fond of her too, you know." She said, matter-of-factly. "I want to see how she is."

Percy groaned, and put his head in his hands.

"I know." He said. "Sorry."

Sally laughed softly, and stood up, ruffling his hair, grabbing her coat.

"I'll see you later, Percy." She said. "Eat something. And get yourself cleaned up."

Percy nodded, and Sally left the house.

Percy stood up, stretching, and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked a mess. He hadn't shaved in a week, his hair was seriously overgrown, and he had bags the size of trucks under his eyes. Suddenly, he realised that him Mom was right – moping wasn't going to get him anywhere. He had hardly eaten any real food since he left, either. He sighed, and picked up the phone. He was going to get his Wise Girl back.

* * *

Sally knocked on the door, and Annabeth answered, wearing a small smile, which soon faded a little when she saw it was not who she wanted it to be. She sighed, but smiled again anyway.

"Hey, Sally." She said, grinning. Sally smiled, and hugged her.

When she finally pulled away, the door knocked again, making Annabeth frown. Sally shrugged helplessly, and Annabeth answered the door again, where a delivery guy leaned against the wall.

"I got a delivery for Annabeth Jackson?" He said, before smirking at the irony of what he said. Annabeth laughed a little.

"Yeah, that's me." She said, although she hadn't ordered anything. She massaged her back a little. It had been killing her all morning.

The guy produced a huge bunch of flowers, making Annabeth gasp and smile – a proper smile – for the first time in a week.

The guy winked.

"I think you got someone after you."

Annabeth laughed.

"It's a good thing I know exactly who he is." She said. "Thank you."

They guy waved, and Annabeth closed the door, before walking into the living room, where Sally was sat, looking at the photos on the mantelpiece.

"Your son," Annabeth said. "Is a total seaweed brain."

Sally looked up, and smiled at the flowers, rolling her eyes.

"Don't I know it." She said. "Took him long enough."

Annabeth lowered herself down onto the couch, setting the flowers on her lap, and reading the note on them with a smile.

'Wise Girl, I miss you. And Poppy. I am so sorry, Annabeth, I'll make it up to you, I promise. Call me when you're ready to talk. I'll wait as long as it takes. I love you.'

She sighed, and smiled a little sadly. She missed him too, so much she could burst. Sally passed her some tea, which she had apparently gone and made whilst Annabeth was at the door. She smiled and took it gratefully, and put the flowers down on the side table.

"How you feeling?" Sally asked, with a sympathetic smile.

Annabeth sighed, rubbing her back.

"Pretty rough today, actually." She admitted. "I was sick this morning, and my back is just ..." She shook her head, figuring Sally knew the feeling. "It's a lot worse than usual."

Sally sighed.

"That sucks."

Annabeth nodded.

"I -" She paused a second, frowning a little as the pain radiated forward, "know."

Sally raised her eyebrows, and Annabeth smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Now I see where Percy gets his worried look from." She laughed. "I'm fine, Sally. Honest. I've been getting it all morning. I think she's just getting a little impatient."

Sally raised her eyebrows a little more.

"Or maybe she doesn't need to be impatient."

Annabeth frowned, taking in what Sally just said. It was too early... right? But it all made sense. Three weeks early wasn't unheard of. She sighed, and lay back into the couch, pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing her eyes.

"Only Percy's baby would have such awful timing." She muttered.

Sally smiled, and placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Annabeth looked at the clock, and groaned.

"I need to go and pick Pops up from school." She said.

Sally frowned and shook her head, downing the rest of her tea.

"I'll go." She said.

Annabeth nodded gratefully, and settled back into the couch.

"Thank you."

Sally smiled, and picked up her coat, opening the front door.

"Percy misses you." Sally told her.

Annabeth smiled sadly, and held up her phone.

"Me too." She said. "I was such an idiot. I'm gonna call him now."

Sally nodded approvingly, and left the apartment. Annabeth looked down at her phone, unsure of what she was going to say, before shrugging. This was only Percy. She dialled his number, and he picked up on the first ring, making Annabeth smile. He hardly ever had his phone _with_ him, let alone answered it.

"Hey." He said.

Annabeth smiled a little. It was nice to hear his voice again, even if it was just over the phone.

"You are such a Seaweed Brain, Perseus Jackson." Annabeth said, with a small smile. "I'm sorry too. I overreacted. Come home? Please? I miss you. If you're ready, of course."

She could practically hear his smile on the other end of the phone.

"Annabeth, I was ready since the minute I left." He said, with a sigh.

"Then why didn't you call me?" Annabeth asked, softly.

"I was waiting for you." He said.

Annabeth laughed.

"And I was waiting for you."

Percy sighed a little.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

Annabeth would've answered, but another pain took her breath away momentarily. She closed her eyes, and squeezed the arm of the couch. Gods, how had she done this on her own last time? She needed Percy. Soon.

"Annabeth?" He called from the other end of the receiver. "Wise Girl?"

"I'm still here." Annabeth said, her voice a little strained. "But you might want to get your skates on. Your demon spawn has the worst timing, I swear."

"Hey, don't call her... what?" Percy spluttered. "You mean... Isn't it too early? I mean... gods, are you sure?"

Annabeth nodded, which was useless, since she was on the phone.

"Pretty sure."

"Oh... wow. Alright, then." Percy said, obviously trying to contain his excitement and panic. "Is Mom still there?"

"No." She said. "She's gone to fetch Poppy for me."

"So... you're on your own?"

Annabeth laughed a little, putting her feet up.

"Well deduced, Perseus."

Percy chuckled.

"I take pride in my eternal wisdom." He joked. "I'll be there in a few. Call me if you need me."

"Sure." Annabeth said. "I love you."

"I love you too." Percy said, and put the phone down.

* * *

He threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, before practically sprinting out of the door. He knew she'd done it before, but he didn't want her to be on her won this time, even if it was only for a few minutes. He figured he would be much help – muttering stupid jokes in her ear and having his hand squeezed off probably weren't very comforting, but it was all he could do.

His mind span out of control. They hadn't even thought of a name yet. Annabeth couldn't have been more right about the timing – awful. He couldn't help but think that only _his_ baby's timing could be this inconvenient.

And Poppy. She was going to be _so_ excited. She already was, the day before he left, but now it was so _soon_ she would probably be jumping up and down like a grasshopper on a pogo stick. He laughed out loud to himself at the thought of that, before remembering spending the day with Poppy on the day he left.

"_Daddy, what are you going to call her?"_

_Percy laughed. He had been bombarded with questions all day, all from his adorable Pops. She grinned up at him, her front tooth missing, the corners of her grey eyes crinkling in adorable delight. Percy couldn't help but think how damn beautiful she was, and how damn beautiful she was going to be._

"_We have no idea yet, Poppy." He told her, with a smile._

_She sighed, and hoisted herself up onto the kitchen chair. She put her thumb on her chin, like she did when she was concentrating, her nose scrunching up._

"_I got it, Daddy! I know what we should call her!"_

_Percy looked at her._

"_Oh yeah?" He asked. "Shoot."_

"_Poppy junior!" She exclaimed, bursting into a bout of snorty giggles, making Percy laugh and shake his head a little. "Was just joking, Daddy." She said. "How about... um... Grace?"_

_Percy smiled, and dragged a chair so he was sat facing her._

"_We'll think about it." He said, with a wink. "I like it though, Pops."_

_Poppy grinned proudly, and Percy ruffled her hair._

"_How are you feeling about it?" He asked. "The baby."_

_Poppy rolled her eyes._

"_I am _so_ excited, Daddy. I've told you this."_

_Percy smiled._

"_I know" He said. "I know. It's just that the baby's going to be pretty hard work for me and your Mom, so if you ever, ever feel upset or left out or anything, you need to make sure you tell one of us, alright?"_

_Poppy smiled and nodded._

"_Sure." _

"_Promise me."_

"_Promise." Poppy said._

* * *

By the time Percy arrived home, his Mom and Poppy had beaten him to it. He knew this before he even opened the door, because he could hear Poppy's giggles and squeals of excitement. He figured this was about the baby, until he put his hand on the door handle and heard her say, "I'm so glad Daddy's coming home! I can't wait!". Upon hearing this, Percy's heart did a little jump, and his brain felt a little fuzzy – he was the luckiest guy in the world. No denying it.

He barely managed to open the door before she sprang into his arms, making him laugh and smother her in numerous kisses. She giggled and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I missed you _so_ much!" She told him, Percy grinned, and told her he had missed her too, his heart warming. His eyes drifted into the living room, and he saw Annabeth, and his heart melted into goo. He had missed her more that he thought he had. He looked at her, and promised himself he would never let that happen again. Annabeth was looking back, and a tired smile cracked on her face. He put Poppy back on the floor when she had finished talking, and surged towards Annabeth, and she walked towards him, and next thing he knew, his arms were wrapped around her.

"I am _never_ going to let that happen again, Wise Girl." He whispered.

Annabeth smiled into his shoulder, and pecked his lips.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, quietly.

"I've been better, Seaweed Brain." She mumbled, and sat back down. Percy sat beside her, and he took her hand. She looked at him.

"Squeeze the shit out of it if you need to." He mouthed, making Annabeth laugh, and kiss his cheek.

"Don't worry," she mouthed with a devilish smile, "I will."

And gods, she lived up to what she said.

An hour later, Sally, Percy, and Annabeth shared a look. Judging by the amount of times his hand had been squeezed in the past sixty minutes, things were moving along quite nicely. It was time to get the ball rolling.

Poppy jumped onto his lap, and Percy wrapped his free arm around her.

"Hey Pops." He said, quietly. "You know the baby's not supposed to be coming 'till February, right?"

Poppy nodded.

"Right, well," Percy said, "The baby's taking after her father and being impatient," Annabeth snorted at this, "so has decided she's gonna come sometime tonight or really early tomorrow morning."

Poppy could hardly contain her excitement, which made Percy laugh.

"But, baby, the thing is, she's not making your Mom feel too good, so you're gonna have to stay at Grandma's for tonight, alright? I'll come and get you first thing tomorrow morning, okay?"

Poppy, still smiling, nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure Dad." She said.

"Hey, hey, hey," Percy said, "What happened to 'Daddy'?"

Poppy rolled her eyes.

"I am _far_ too old for that now." She said, impatiently.

Percy and Annabeth shared a look, and started to laugh a little, which soon faded when Annabeth squeezed his hand again, giving him a look.

"You are so much like your mother." He told her, before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I love you. See you tomorrow!"

Poppy grinned and nodded, following Sally out of the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Percy knelt in front of Annabeth, wrapping her coat around her shoulders, brushing the stray hairs from her face. She smiled a little, and kissed the top of his head.

"Stop fussing, Percy I'm -" She suddenly reached out for Percy's shoulder, and as good as squeezed it out it's socket. Percy held the top of her arms to steady her. It broke his heart seeing her like this. "- fine." She finished, after a couple of minutes. "I swear, it wasn't this bad last time."

Percy tried his best to smile sympathetically.

"Maybe I just make fat babies." He joked, and Annabeth laughed, swatting his arm a little.

"You're an idiot." She told him.

Percy grinned, nodding.

"And proud." He added. "D'you think you can make it to the car?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, pushing herself up off the couch, and standing up. Percy smiled, and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said, "Tell me if you need to stop, alright?"

Annabeth sighed, and gave him a dude-shut-up-I'm-totally-okay look. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Annabeth smiled, and kissed his cheek, wrapping her arm around him too. They walked out of the apartment, and it suddenly dawned on Percy that the next time he walked in there, he would be with _his_ daughter and Poppy and Annabeth – all his girls in one place. He smiled, and closed the door.

They walked the short distance down the corridor, until they came face-to-face with the elevator and the stairs. Percy gave Annabeth a questioning look, and she rolled her eyes, walking towards the stairs.

"Been with you for over five years,"Percy muttered, "and I still do not understand you."

Annabeth laughed a little, going down the steps, one-by-one.

"You've known me for even longer than that." She said. "And it's gonna stay this way. Deal with it. If you're wondering, I'm tackling the stairs because movement makes stuff happen quicker."

Percy nodded.

"I think I remember you telling me about this." Percy said, and then looked at her.

"I've got another one coming." She muttered. "Might have to stop in a second, Perce."

Percy nodded and kissed her cheek, before pointing to a landing a few steps down.

"Do you think you could make it down there or do you want to stop here?"

She shook her head microscopically.

"Stay here." She said, her voice strained. Percy nodded a little, and Annabeth leaned against the railing, Percy rubbing her back. He sighed when he heard voices, and looked down, to find a group of teenagers ascending the stairs, laughing to one another. Percy sighed.

"There are some people coming up" Percy told her, gently.

Annabeth nodded.

"Am I in the way?" She managed.

Percy nodded.

"Yeah, but they're gonna have to wait. You're more important at the moment."

Annabeth nodded, and the kids got to the landing beneath them, sharing concerned looks with each other, and then Percy realised it was the neighbour's kids, and smiled at them a little.

"Hang on guys." He said. "Won't be a minute."

"Is she okay?" One of them asked.

Percy nodded.

"Yeah, she's alright." He said.

Annabeth let out a deep sigh, and gave them a thumbs up.

"Use a condom, kids. Childbirth sucks."

Percy laughed harder than he had for a long time at this, and laughed even more at their faces.

"Good to go?" He asked Annabeth, who nodded, having recovered. "Have a good day, guys."

"Wait!" One of them shouted. "There's a nasty looking dog tied up outside, Mr. Jackson. You might want to watch it."

Percy nodded his thanks, and his hand instinctively reached for Riptide in his pocket, just in case. He guided Annabeth down the final few stairs and stepped out of the doors. "Shit." He muttered, pulling her back inside again gently. She looked at him quizzically, and Percy sighed.

"Bit more than a 'nasty looking dog' if you get what I mean." He muttered.

Annabeth buried her face in her hands, and groaned a little.

"How many?" She mumbled.

"I only saw one." He thought for a moment. "I think we got two options – you can chill here whilst I go take care of it, or, we wait here until you have another one, and I can cover you until you get to the car. It's up to you."

Annabeth buried her head into Percy's shoulder.

"I swear, the gods hate us." She muttered. "I am _not_ staying in here on my own, Percy. Not while I'm like this. I've got nowhere to sit, and it's freezing. And I don't want you getting hurt unnecessarily, or getting into fights in general."

Percy nodded, and squeezed her hand. He took her face in his hands, and planted a kiss on her forehead, tucking the stray hairs behind her ears.

"If we went now, d'you think you could make it to the car?" He asked. "I'm kinda worried about that thing smashing through the doors or something."

Annabeth nodded, and Percy squeezed her hand, standing in front of the door, and opening it a little.

"Right." He whispered. "I'll go now, and then you follow me out and go to the car." He passed her the keys. "I love you. See you in a sec."

Percy dashed through the door, shouting various dog-offensive insults, including calling it a 'bitch' which, Annabeth couldn't help but think, was very witty, especially for Percy's standards. She got halfway to the car, when she felt that all-too-familiar pain building up again, and she knew she couldn't make it to the car.

"Percy!" She called, grabbing on to the nearest lamppost. He turned around, realising what was happening, and ran over to her, drawing his sword.

"Annabeth, grab my shoulders." Percy mumbled, from the corner of his mouth, standing in front of her, his back facing her. Annabeth did what she was told, too blinded by panic to do anything else. "Right, I'm going walk backwards slowly, alright? Tell me if I need to stop or slow down or whatever."

Percy suddenly became very aware of the hellhound bounding towards them. He took a sneaky look backwards, and sighed with relief finding they were probably less than ten feet away from the car.

"A little quicker, sweetheart. We're almost there – the handle should be right behind you."

He heard the clunk of the door opening, and stood in front of it until Annabeth was safely inside. He slammed the door, and ran over to the driver's side, quickly put the keys the the ignition, and drove away. After a couple of minutes, he gave Annabeth's arm a reassuring stroke.

"Sorry 'bout that, Wise Girl." He mumbled. "You okay?"

He snook a glance at her, and found she had a cut on the bottom of her lip. He scowled.

"How did you do that?" He asked.

Annabeth absent-mindedly put her hand to her lip, and sighed.

"Must've bitten through it whilst we were on the move." She muttered. "Nice escape plan."

Percy smiled a little, and ran a hand through his hair.

"That was desperate." He said. "I'm really sorry. I should've thought things through a little better. Hey, I think there's some nectar in the glovebox. For your lip"

Annabeth nodded, and rested a hand on his leg.

"Hey, no that wasn't your fault." She said.

Percy shrugged.

"Yeah, but you still could've gotten hurt."

Annabeth nodded.

"I didn't, though." She said, wincing as she leaned forward and another contraction built up. She twisted the cap off the nectar, and dabbed a bit on her lip, closing it before she spilt it all over Percy's car. Which, it turns out, she wouldn't have had to worry about anyway. This one was easily the worst one, and, much to her mortification, she groaned, and buried her face in her hands.

Percy reached out to place a reassuring hand on her back, but it was already fading. She looked at him, and found herself laughing at his worried expression, before she felt a slight pop, and a trickle between her legs.

"Oh, balls." She muttered, mostly to herself, blushing furiously. Percy looked at her to see what all the fuss was about, and then he laughed.

"Don't worry about it, Wise Girl." He said, still laughing. "Your bag's in the back if you want to get changed. I swear, someone up there's got it in for us. Can't we have things go fairly normally for once?"

Annabeth smiled, reaching into the back of the car. The smile soon faded.

"Hera." Annabeth said. "She hates the both of us."

Percy looked at her, puzzled.

"And that's relevant because..."

"She's goddess of childbirth."

"Ah." He said. "I'll have a little word with my dad when we get there. See if he knows anything." He looked at Annabeth's worried expression, and gave her a small smile. "Wise Girl, don't worry. She's the only one, maybe except Ares, who isn't a fan of us. She really can't do much more than make things a little more difficult for us, because she's be in far too much trouble with the other gods. I promise you, I'm not going to let anything bad happen to the baby. Or you, for that matter. Don't worry."

Annabeth nodded, and smiled a little, despite how terrible she was feeling. She rested a hand on Percy's leg.

"I'm glad I've got you with me, Seaweed Brain."

Percy grinned.

"I'm glad to be here with you, Wise Girl."

* * *

Percy stood at the coffee machine tiredly. He had tried to contact his dad, with no luck. It was two in the morning. He was starving. He knew that was nothing compared to what Annabeth was going through, but still, he wasn't feeling so great either. He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly becoming aware of all the people waiting behind him, all going through the same thing, all with the same expressions on their faces. This made him feel a little better.

He took a sip from his cup, promptly burning his tongue, before rushing back to the room. He didn't like leaving Annabeth for too long.

"Percy." A familiar voice said, jogging down the corridor to catch up with him. Percy turned around, and smiled a little.

"Hey Dad." He said. "I've been trying to get a hold of you.

Poseidon nodded.

"I know. Sorry about that, son. It's havoc up on Olympus. I'm not even supposed to be here."

Percy sighed, and gave him an apologetic look, which Poseidon waved off.

"Do you know if Hera's doing anything? Trying to mess this up or something?"

Poseidon nodded.

"She was." He admitted. "The hellhound – I have no idea how she did that. She'll stop now. Everyone's too angry with her."

Percy sighed with relief, taking another sip.

"Thank gods." Percy muttered. "This is hard enough for Annabeth already."

Poseidon nodded, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"There'll be no more trouble." He promised.

Percy smiled, and stopped in front of Annabeth's door.

"This is me." He said. "Thanks, Dad."

Poseidon winked.

"No worries. I'll see you soon, Percy."

* * *

He closed the door quietly behind him, and couldn't hold his smile when he saw Annabeth talking down to her bump.

"Hey, I'm back." Percy said, quietly.

She turned to smile at him.

"I spoke to Dad." He told her. "It _was_ Hera. She's stopped whatever she's doing now, anyway."

Annabeth sighed, and Percy took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and pulling the hair from her face as she puffed and panted through yet another wave of pain, as good a breaking Percy's hand, but he didn't notice that. The exhaustion on Annabeth's face hurt him ten times as much as his stupid hand. He tried to smile, but he just couldn't. They both knew this would be worth it, but right then, they both wanted it to be over.

Annabeth smiled a little, and cupped his cheek in her hand.

"I'm fine, Percy." She said. "Stop worrying, alright?"

Percy nodded, and Annabeth kissed his cheek.

"I love you." She said. "Now get me my ipod!"

Percy laughed, and returned the gesture, before rummaging through the bag and handing it to her.

She looked through her songs, and then started laughing. Percy looked at her questioningly, and Annabeth showed him the screen.

'Hospital playlist.

I'm coming out – Diana Ross.

Push it – Salt n' Pepa

I want to break free – Queen'

Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him, still laughing, and Percy laughed too.

"Was this you, Seaweed brain?" Annabeth asked.

Percy nodded.

"Gods, I did that ages ago." He said. "I thought it would lighten up the mood a little. Hey, it was that night we went to the beach? When Poppy went and slept over at that girls'?"

Annabeth smiled. That was such a beautiful night.

_Percy walked into the living room, casually munching on an apple, watching Annabeth read. One arm casually slung over her bump, her legs crossed. He couldn't suppress the smile spreading across his face. Gods, she was beautiful. And then he got an idea._

_Annabeth looked up at him, rolling her eyes._

"_Are you _still_ eating?"She asked, laughing. "I swear, there's two of me, and I don't even eat that much."_

_Percy shrugged, and Annabeth raised herself off the couch, standing in front of Percy, and taking a bite from his apple, making him laugh. She smiled sheepishly, and handed it back to him._

"_Fancy a walk on the beach, Wise Girl?" Percy asked._

_Annabeth raised her eyebrows._

"_It's ten o'clock at night, Perseus."_

_Percy looked at the clock._

"_So it is." He said, smiling. "That doesn't answer my question. Come on, Annabeth. It's the end of August. It'll start getting all cold and horrible soon and -"_

_Annabeth laughed._

"_Fine, Percy. Fine." She said, slipping into some shoes._

* * *

_They walked along the beach, hand in hand, Percy telling her really stupid jokes, Annabeth laughing and looking up at the stars and pointing out each of the really bright one, but Percy wasn't paying attention. He was looking at her, that dazzling smile and that sparkle in her eye,which to Percy, were more gorgeous than the stars. He did eventually look up, and smiled sadly._

"_You know why that one's bright, don't you?" _

_Annabeth looked at him and shook her head._

"_That's Zoe." He muttered, smiling sadly. "Lieutenant of Artemis."_

_Annabeth smiled, and leaned against him, kissing his cheek. Percy squeezed her a little, and sat down on the damp sand, looking up to the sky, before laughing to himself._

"_As terrible as boyfriends are, and as honourable as it is to be a huntress, there is no _way_ I'm letting this one sign up. Ever." He said, putting his hand on her bump._

_Annabeth laughed_

"_Most definitely not." Annabeth agreed._

_Percy lay back in the sand, and Annabeth lay back too, resting her head on his shoulder. Percy aimlessly twiddled with her blonde curls, and she draped an arm across his chest._

"_You can't say anything." Percy smiled. "You almost joined up yourself."_

_Annabeth sighed._

"_'Almost' being the active word." She said. "I couldn't exactly leave you by yourself, could I?"_

_Percy smirked._

"_Or you just fancied me."_

_Annabeth laughed knowingly, since Percy was absolutely right. Percy elbowed her gently._

"_It was mutual." He said, propping himself up on one elbow, and kissing her softly. Annabeth grinned against his lips, and pulled him closer to her, making him chuckle softly between kisses. "I think," He mumbled, pecking her lips, giddy with love, "that we should take this indoors."_

_Annabeth smashed her lips to his one last time._

_"I think," she muttered, kissing him again, "that you've had worse ideas."_

* * *

**A/N Hello! I case you haven't noticed, I changed my pen name to FieryFestus, b/c I realised I spelled Poseidon wrong. I'm going to see SoM tomorrow, so there may not be an update, so sorry about that. If I don't have a lovely day.**


	10. AN

**A/N**

**I'm really sorry. I've got another writer's block! I know, I'm sorry. I've been trying _so_ hard to write this chapter, but I can't. I'll get it up as soon as I can. I am so sorry for messing you all around like this. It sucks for me as well as you.**


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